Treat Your Corns and Calluses

Relentless rubbing and pressure on your feet due to footwear can create a thickened layer of skin called a callus or corn. This is a normal and natural response to pressure and irritation. In the beginning, they are not always painful. But when calluses form on the heel or ball of the foot, cracks in the callus can become hardened and subject to bleeding, possibly leading to an infection. These are called heel fissures and can be difficult to treat without the help of your foot doctor.

Corns can also quickly become unmanageable, especially when tender, red, and inflamed from infection or irritation. They can also be confused with other skin conditions like plantar warts. You are more likely to experience painful corns if you have bunions and hammertoes.

Treatments For Corns and Calluses Include:

Proper footwear – Wearing correctly fitted, comfortable shoes with the right arch support and a wide toe box will give your toes room and decrease corn formation.

Orthotic inserts and padding – Moleskin pads can be placed over corns to help isolate them. Orthotic inserts can also isolate skin anomalies and shift pressure to other areas of the foot.

Foot soaks – Soaks will soften dead skin for easier removal.

Dead skin removal – Use a file or rough pumice stone to gently remove the dead skin.

Acid treatments – Acid treatment can help to dissolve corns, although they aren’t always recommended because they may damage your skin.

If you are a diabetic patient, avoid using over-the-counter salicylic acid kits and seek the help of your foot doctor for worry-free corn and callus treatment.

If you have painful corn and callus problems, see your podiatrist right away.

Here at PodiatryCare, PC, and the Heel Pain Center, we specialize in custom orthotics, along with various other foot and ankle ailments. Dr. Charlotte George, Dr. Matthew Tschudy, Dr. Rebecca Wiesner, Dr. Kristen Winters, Dr. Laura Vander Poel, and the rest of our team are dedicated to helping our Hartford County patients. To schedule an appointment at our Enfield location, call (860) 741-3041; for an appointment at our South Windsor location, call (860) 644-6525.